Passive collection of air-to-ground network parameters for network planning and control

ABSTRACT

A network analytics control module may include processing circuitry configured to receive three dimensional location information and corresponding signal quality information for a particular asset in an air-to-ground (ATG) network, make a service quality inference for the particular asset based at least in part on the received information, and provide an instruction for a network control activity based on the service quality inference.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. application No. 62/561,449filed Sep. 21, 2017, the entire contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Example embodiments generally relate to wireless communications and,more particularly, relate to the control of various aspects within anair-to-ground (ATG) network.

BACKGROUND

High speed data communications and the devices that enable suchcommunications have become ubiquitous in modern society. These devicesmake many users capable of maintaining nearly continuous connectivity tothe Internet and other communication networks. Although these high speeddata connections are available through telephone lines, cable modems orother such devices that have a physical wired connection, wirelessconnections have revolutionized our ability to stay connected withoutsacrificing mobility.

However, in spite of the familiarity that people have with remainingcontinuously connected to networks while on the ground, people generallyunderstand that easy and/or cheap connectivity will tend to stop once anaircraft is boarded. Aviation platforms have still not become easily andcheaply connected to communication networks, at least for the passengersonboard. Attempts to stay connected in the air are typically costly andhave bandwidth limitations or high latency problems. Moreover,passengers willing to deal with the expense and issues presented byaircraft communication capabilities are often limited to very specificcommunication modes that are supported by the rigid communicationarchitecture provided on the aircraft, and have frequently beendisappointed with the service provided.

Conventional ground based communication systems have been developed andmatured over the past couple of decades. While advances continue to bemade in relation to ground based communication, and one might expectthat some of those advances may also be applicable to communication withaviation platforms, the fact that conventional ground basedcommunication involves a two dimensional coverage paradigm and thatair-to-ground (ATG) communication is a three dimensional problem meansthat there is not a direct correlation between the two environments.Instead, many additional factors must be considered in the context ofATG relative to those considered in relation to ground basedcommunication.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME EXAMPLES

Some example embodiments may therefore be provided to enhance thenetwork control options and capabilities that can be provided within anATG network. The control options and capabilities may be used to improvethe quality of service and enable the proactive identification andcorrection of issues that impact network performance. For example,information may be gathered regarding a number of different systemperformance related parameters so that such information can be studiedto proactively address various issues that can be identified from theinformation. As such, for example, equipment performance can beevaluated remotely, network planning and expansion may be conductedintelligently, and information regarding customer satisfaction withservice can be determined (or inferred) to enable customer serviceinitiatives to be deployed proactively.

In one example embodiment, a network analytics control module mayinclude processing circuitry configured to receive three dimensionallocation information and corresponding signal quality information for aparticular asset in an ATG network, make a service quality inference forthe particular asset based at least in part on the received information,and provide an instruction for a network control activity based on theservice quality inference.

In another example embodiment, an ATG network is provided. The networkmay include a plurality of base stations disposed at respective fixedgeographic locations, at least one aircraft, a beamforming controlmodule and a network analysis control module. The beamforming controlmodule may include processing circuitry configured to provideinstructions to direct beam formation from an antenna array of theaircraft or one of the base stations based on three dimensional locationinformation associated with the aircraft. The network analysis controlmodule may include processing circuitry configured to receive the threedimensional location information and corresponding signal qualityinformation for a particular asset in the ATG network, make a servicequality inference for the particular asset based at least in part on thereceived information, and provide an instruction for a network controlactivity based on the service quality inference.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will nowbe made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn toscale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates an aircraft moving through the coverage areas ofdifferent base stations over time in accordance with an exampleembodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a system for employing positionalinformation for assisting with beamforming in accordance with an exampleembodiment;

FIG. 3 illustrates beamforming control circuitry that may be employed toassist in using positional information for assisting with beamformingaccording to an example embodiment;

FIG. 4 illustrates network analysis control circuitry that may beemployed to assist in using positional information and signal qualityinformation for assisting with network control and planning functionsaccording to an example embodiment;

FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of a method for employing positionalinformation and signal quality information for performing networkcontrol and planning functions in accordance with an example embodiment;

FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of a method for performing certainexample network control and planning functions in accordance with anexample embodiment; and

FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of a method for performingalternative example network control and planning functions in accordancewith an example embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Some example embodiments now will be described more fully hereinafterwith reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not allexample embodiments are shown. Indeed, the examples described andpictured herein should not be construed as being limiting as to thescope, applicability or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather,these example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure willsatisfy applicable legal requirements. Like reference numerals refer tolike elements throughout. Furthermore, as used herein, the term “or” isto be interpreted as a logical operator that results in true wheneverone or more of its operands are true. As used herein, the terms “data,”“content,” “information” and similar terms may be used interchangeablyto refer to data capable of being transmitted, received and/or stored inaccordance with example embodiments. Thus, use of any such terms shouldnot be taken to limit the spirit and scope of example embodiments.

As used herein, the terms “component,” “module,” and the like areintended to include a computer-related entity, such as but not limitedto hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. Forexample, a component or module may be, but is not limited to being, aprocess running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable, athread of execution, and/or a computer. By way of example, both anapplication running on a computing device and/or the computing devicecan be a component or module. One or more components or modules canreside within a process and/or thread of execution and acomponent/module may be localized on one computer and/or distributedbetween two or more computers. In addition, these components can executefrom various computer readable media having various data structuresstored thereon. The components may communicate by way of local and/orremote processes such as in accordance with a signal having one or moredata packets, such as data from one component/module interacting withanother component/module in a local system, distributed system, and/oracross a network such as the Internet with other systems by way of thesignal. Each respective component/module may perform one or morefunctions that will be described in greater detail herein. However, itshould be appreciated that although this example is described in termsof separate modules corresponding to various functions performed, someexamples may not necessarily utilize modular architectures foremployment of the respective different functions. Thus, for example,code may be shared between different modules, or the processingcircuitry itself may be configured to perform all of the functionsdescribed as being associated with the components/modules describedherein. Furthermore, in the context of this disclosure, the term“module” should not be understood as a nonce word to identify anygeneric means for performing functionalities of the respective modules.Instead, the term “module” should be understood to be a modularcomponent that is specifically configured in, or can be operably coupledto, the processing circuitry to modify the behavior and/or capability ofthe processing circuitry based on the hardware and/or software that isadded to or otherwise operably coupled to the processing circuitry toconfigure the processing circuitry accordingly.

Typical wireless communication systems include end-user devices, whichmay be used at a particular location or in a mobile setting, and a fixedset of equipment with access to interconnection to the Internet and/orthe Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The end user devicecommunicates wirelessly with the fixed equipment, referred to as thebase station. In an ATG context, the base station is one of a pluralityof base stations that are deployed on the ground to be partiallyoverlapping with adjacent base stations to provide continuous anduninterrupted coverage over a particular geographic area, while themovile equipment includes devices on various aircraft. The base stationsare interconnected with each other to form a network, and may also beinterconnected with other networks via a backhaul network or assembly.

In some examples, the ATG network may be designed to employ beamformingtechnology to communicate more efficiently and reliably. In this regard,for example, beams may be formed at or steered to desirable locationswithin a coverage area of a cell defined by a base station (or anaircraft) to extend range, reduce interference, and provide otherenhanced communication capabilities. Whether the beams are steered orformed within this context, the control of the beams may be referred toas beamforming, and may be controlled by a beamforming control module.In some embodiments, the beamforming control module may be provided atmobile nodes of an air-to-ground network (e.g., aircraft), base stationsof the network, and or at a network controller either at a centralnetwork location or in the cloud. The beamforming control module mayutilize position information of both the base stations and the mobilenodes to determine (predictively or in real-time) where to steer beamsto ensure continuous communication can be maintained both within anindividual cell and when a handover to another cell is desirable.

In some embodiments, a base station employing beamforming may employ anantenna array to generate (e.g., form) or steer beams in the directionof the target device, enhancing the coverage range when the location ofthe device is known relative to the base station. When the location ofthe device is not known to the base station, then a beam may not beformed in the direction of the target device and the coverage range ofthe base station would effectively be reduced. A wireless system must bedesigned to provide for the lowest common denominator. If a deviceaccessing the system for the first time has a less favorable coveragerange, then the base stations must be placed closer together to ensurethe unknown devices may gain access to the system. Placing the basestations closer together increases the network cost.

If a wireless device has not yet been in contact with the base station,then the device may end up with insufficient coverage margin tocommunicate with the base station because the beamforming gain is notpresent. Therefore, the initial synchronization of the wireless devicewith the base station is a potential problem in a wireless systememploying beamforming. To address this potential problem, it may bepossible to utilize position information of receiving stations and basestations to facilitate beamforming at either or both ends of thewireless communication links that are to be established.

In an ATG communications system, the end-user equipment (or receivingstations) may be installed or otherwise present on an aircraft or otheraerial platform. Thus, as mentioned above, the utilization of positioninformation may not simply involve knowledge of latitude and longitude,relative positioning, global positioning system (GPS) coordinates,and/or the like. Instead, knowledge of three dimensional (3D) positioninformation including altitude may be required. Speed, course, and anyother information descriptive of the current 3D position and likelyfuture positions may also be helpful in some cases. When the 3D positionof aircraft (or communication devices thereon) are known, thislocation-specific information may be employed by the wireless system toenhance the initial synchronization coverage range by enhancingbeamforming.

In some cases, the knowledge of locations of fixed assets (i.e., basestations) may be known in advance and, for example, may be stored at alocation accessible to any or all assets of the network. Knowledge ofmovable device locations (e.g., aircraft) may be actively tracked forall devices (e.g., all aircraft or other known receiving devices on theaircraft) in the 3D airspace. As an example, aircraft (or devicesthereon) taking off from an airport may access and synchronize with abase station near the airport. Once known to the wireless system, eachdevice may periodically transmit position information (e.g.,coordinates, altitude, and speed) to the serving base station. The basestation may share the position information with a centralized server orother device in the core network, or in the cloud. The centralizedserver (or other processing device) may then track each device, comparethe device location against a database of base stations in the system,and determine when a particular device may be moving into a differentbase station's coverage area. The device location may be shared with thenew base station, and the new base station may then form a directionalbeam toward the wireless device to share synchronization information.

Example embodiments may therefore combine knowledge of fixed basestations positions (e.g., in 2D) with knowledge of moving receivingstation positions (e.g., in 3D) to provide beamforming from both theaircraft (or devices thereon) and the base station when the device hasnot yet acquired a neighboring base station. Full beamforming coveragebenefits may therefore be maintained within an ATG system, reducing thecost of network coverage and improving handoff reliability. The improvedgain by using directed beams may enable aircraft to engage incommunications with potentially distant base stations on the ground.Accordingly, an ATG network may potentially be built with base stationsthat are much farther apart than the typical distance between basestations in a terrestrial network.

However, more information than merely the locations of the assets withinthe network may be available in some cases. For example, numerous otherparameters may be known or knowable, and such parameters, if analyzed,may enable yet further advantageous network control. For example, signalstrength information, radio status (e.g., on/off status), and perhapsalso other parameters may be stored for real time and/or post hocanalysis. Numerous determinations regarding system performance may bemade based on this information to further enhance services that can beoffered, proactive system maintenance or issue resolution, and/or thelike.

FIG. 1 illustrates a conceptual view of an aircraft moving through acoverage zone of different base stations to illustrate an exampleembodiment. As can be seen in FIG. 1, an aircraft 100 may be incommunication with a first base station (BS) 110 at time t₀ via awireless communication link 120. The aircraft 100 may therefore includewireless communication equipment onboard that enables the aircraft 100to communicate with the first BS 110, and the first BS 110 may alsoinclude wireless communication equipment enabling communication with theaircraft 100. As will be discussed in greater detail below, the wirelesscommunication equipment at each end may include radio hardware and/orsoftware for processing wireless signals received at correspondingantenna arrays that are provided at each respective device incommunication with their respective radios. Moreover, the wirelesscommunication equipment of example embodiments may be configured toemploy beamforming techniques to utilize directive focusing, steering,and/or formation of beams using the antenna arrays. Accordingly, for thepurposes of this discussion, it should be assumed that the wirelesscommunication link 120 between the aircraft 100 and the first BS 110 maybe formed using at least one link established via beamforming. In otherwords, either the first BS 110 or the aircraft 100, or both, may includeradio control circuitry capable of employing beamforming techniques forestablishment of the wireless communication link 120.

The first BS 110 has a fixed position geographically and thereforeposition information regarding the location of the first BS 110 can beknown. In some cases, an estimate of the coverage area defining theregion in which first BS 110 is capable of providing wirelessconnectivity to aircraft may also be known or estimable (e.g., at theaircraft 100 and/or at the first BS 110 or another network location).Meanwhile, the position of the aircraft in 3D space may also be known orestimable at any given time (e.g., at the aircraft 100 and/or at thefirst BS 110 or another network location). Furthermore, it should beappreciated that the coverage area of the first BS 110 may possibly bealtitude dependent, in some cases. In this regard, for example, thelatitudinal and longitudinal coverage area projected onto the surface ofthe earth for the first BS 110 may be differently sized for differentaltitudes. Accordingly, for example, based on the known position andcoverage characteristics of the first BS 110 and the positioninformation of the aircraft 100 at time t₀, it may be determinable thatthe aircraft 100 is nearing or at the edge of the coverage area of thefirst BS 110 at time t₀.

A second BS 130, which may have similar performance and functionalcharacteristics to those of the first BS 110, may be locatedgeographically such that, for the current track of the aircraft 100, thesecond BS 130 is a candidate for handover of the aircraft 100 tomaintain a continuous and uninterrupted communication link between theaircraft 100 and ground-based base stations of an ATG wirelesscommunication network at time t₀. As discussed above, it may be helpfulfor the second BS 130 to be aware of the approach of the aircraft 100 sothat the second BS 130 can employ beamforming techniques to direct abeam toward the aircraft 100 either when or prior to the aircraft 100reaching the coverage area of the second BS 130. Additionally oralternatively, it may be helpful for the aircraft 100 to be aware of theexistence and location of the second BS 130 so that the wirelesscommunication equipment on the aircraft 100 may employ beamformingtechniques to direct a beam toward the second BS 130 either when orprior to the aircraft 100 reaching the coverage area of the second BS130. Thus, at least one of the second BS 130 or the wirelesscommunication equipment on the aircraft 100 may employ beamformingtechniques assisted by knowledge of position information to facilitateestablishment of the wireless communication link 140 between thewireless communication equipment on the aircraft 100 and the second BS130.

In accordance with an example embodiment, a beamforming control modulemay be provided that employs both 2D knowledge of fixed base stationlocation and 3D knowledge of position information regarding a receivingstation on an aircraft to assist in application of beamformingtechniques. The beamforming control module of an example embodiment maybe physically located at any of a number of different locations withinan ATG communication network. For example, the beamforming controlmodule may be located at the aircraft 100, at either or both of thefirst and second BS 110 and 130, or at another location in the networkor in the cloud. FIG. 2 illustrates a functional block diagram of an ATGcommunication network that may employ an example embodiment of such abeamforming control module.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first BS 110 and second BS 130 may each be basestations of an ATG network 200. The ATG network 200 may further includeother BSs 210, and each of the BSs may be in communication with the ATGnetwork 200 via a gateway (GTW) device 220. The ATG network 200 mayfurther be in communication with a wide area network such as theInternet 230 or other communication networks. In some embodiments, theATG network 200 may include or otherwise be coupled to a packet-switchedcore network.

In an example embodiment, the ATG network 200 may include a networkcontroller 240 that may include, for example, switching functionality.Thus, for example, the network controller 240 may be configured tohandle routing calls to and from the aircraft 100 (or to communicationequipment on the aircraft 100) and/or handle other data or communicationtransfers between the communication equipment on the aircraft 100 andthe ATG network 200. In some embodiments, the network controller 240 mayfunction to provide a connection to landline trunks when thecommunication equipment on the aircraft 100 is involved in a call. Inaddition, the network controller 240 may be configured for controllingthe forwarding of messages and/or data to and from the mobile terminal10, and may also control the forwarding of messages for the basestations. It should be noted that although the network controller 240 isshown in the system of FIG. 2, the network controller 240 is merely anexemplary network device and example embodiments are not limited to usein a network employing the network controller 240.

The network controller 240 may be coupled to a data network, such as alocal area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), and/or awide area network (WAN) (e.g., the Internet 230) and may be directly orindirectly coupled to the data network. In turn, devices such asprocessing elements (e.g., personal computers, laptop computers,smartphones, server computers or the like) can be coupled to thecommunication equipment on the aircraft 100 via the Internet 230.

Although not every element of every possible embodiment of the ATGnetwork 200 is shown and described herein, it should be appreciated thatthe communication equipment on the aircraft 100 may be coupled to one ormore of any of a number of different networks through the ATG network200. In this regard, the network(s) can be capable of supportingcommunication in accordance with any one or more of a number offirst-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), third-generation (3G),fourth-generation (4G) and/or future mobile communication protocols orthe like. In some cases, the communication supported may employcommunication links defined using unlicensed band frequencies such as2.4 GHz or 5.8 GHz. However, communications may be supported by otherfrequencies in licensed bands additionally or alternatively. Moreover,it may be possible to switch between licensed and unlicensed bandcommunications (and/or satellite communications) under the control ofthe network controller 240 in some cases. Additionally, in some cases,the ATG network 200 may be augmented by or operate in parallel with asatellite communication system and switching may be performed to handlecommunications alternately between either the ATG network 200 or thesatellite communications system in some cases under the control of thenetwork controller 240.

As indicated above, a beamforming control module may be employed onwireless communication equipment at either or both of the network sideor the aircraft side in example embodiments. Thus, in some embodiments,the beamforming control module may be implemented in a receiving stationon the aircraft (e.g., a passenger device or device associated with theaircraft's communication system). In some embodiments, the beamformingcontrol module may be implemented in the network controller 240 or atsome other network side entity. Moreover, in some cases, the beamformingcontrol module may be implemented at an entity located in the cloud(e.g., at a location that is operably coupled to the ATG network 200 viathe Internet 230).

FIG. 3 illustrates the architecture of a beamforming control module 300in accordance with an example embodiment. The beamforming control module300 processing circuitry 310 configured to provide control outputs forgeneration of beams from an antenna array disposed at either theaircraft 100 or one of the base stations based on processing of variousinput information. The processing circuitry 310 may be configured toperform data processing, control function execution and/or otherprocessing and management services according to an example embodiment ofthe present invention. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 310may be embodied as a chip or chip set. In other words, the processingcircuitry 310 may comprise one or more physical packages (e.g., chips)including materials, components and/or wires on a structural assembly(e.g., a baseboard). The structural assembly may provide physicalstrength, conservation of size, and/or limitation of electricalinteraction for component circuitry included thereon. The processingcircuitry 310 may therefore, in some cases, be configured to implementan embodiment of the present invention on a single chip or as a single“system on a chip.” As such, in some cases, a chip or chipset mayconstitute means for performing one or more operations for providing thefunctionalities described herein.

In an example embodiment, the processing circuitry 310 may include oneor more instances of a processor 312 and memory 314 that may be incommunication with or otherwise control a device interface 320 and, insome cases, a user interface 330. As such, the processing circuitry 310may be embodied as a circuit chip (e.g., an integrated circuit chip)configured (e.g., with hardware, software or a combination of hardwareand software) to perform operations described herein. However, in someembodiments, the processing circuitry 310 may be embodied as a portionof an on-board computer. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry310 may communicate with various components, entities and/or sensors ofthe ATG network 200.

The user interface 330 (if implemented) may be in communication with theprocessing circuitry 310 to receive an indication of a user input at theuser interface 330 and/or to provide an audible, visual, mechanical orother output to the user. As such, the user interface 330 may include,for example, a display, one or more levers, switches, indicator lights,buttons or keys (e.g., function buttons), and/or other input/outputmechanisms.

The device interface 320 may include one or more interface mechanismsfor enabling communication with other devices (e.g., modules, entities,sensors and/or other components of the ATG network 200). In some cases,the device interface 320 may be any means such as a device or circuitryembodied in either hardware, or a combination of hardware and softwarethat is configured to receive and/or transmit data from/to modules,entities, sensors and/or other components of the ATG network 200 thatare in communication with the processing circuitry 310.

The processor 312 may be embodied in a number of different ways. Forexample, the processor 312 may be embodied as various processing meanssuch as one or more of a microprocessor or other processing element, acoprocessor, a controller or various other computing or processingdevices including integrated circuits such as, for example, an ASIC(application specific integrated circuit), an FPGA (field programmablegate array), or the like. In an example embodiment, the processor 312may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory 314 orotherwise accessible to the processor 312. As such, whether configuredby hardware or by a combination of hardware and software, the processor312 may represent an entity (e.g., physically embodied in circuitry—inthe form of processing circuitry 310) capable of performing operationsaccording to embodiments of the present invention while configuredaccordingly. Thus, for example, when the processor 312 is embodied as anASIC, FPGA or the like, the processor 312 may be specifically configuredhardware for conducting the operations described herein. Alternatively,as another example, when the processor 312 is embodied as an executor ofsoftware instructions, the instructions may specifically configure theprocessor 312 to perform the operations described herein.

In an example embodiment, the processor 312 (or the processing circuitry310) may be embodied as, include or otherwise control the operation ofthe beamforming control module 300 based on inputs received by theprocessing circuitry 310 responsive to receipt of position informationassociated with various relative positions of the communicating elementsof the network. As such, in some embodiments, the processor 312 (or theprocessing circuitry 310) may be said to cause each of the operationsdescribed in connection with the beamforming control module 300 inrelation to adjustments to be made to antenna arrays to undertake thecorresponding functionalities relating to beamforming responsive toexecution of instructions or algorithms configuring the processor 312(or processing circuitry 310) accordingly. In particular, theinstructions may include instructions for processing 3D positioninformation of a moving receiving station (e.g., on an aircraft) alongwith 2D position information of fixed transmission sites in order toinstruct an antenna array to form a beam in a direction that willfacilitate establishing a communication link between the movingreceiving station and one of the fixed transmission stations asdescribed herein.

In an exemplary embodiment, the memory 314 may include one or morenon-transitory memory devices such as, for example, volatile and/ornon-volatile memory that may be either fixed or removable. The memory314 may be configured to store information, data, applications,instructions or the like for enabling the processing circuitry 310 tocarry out various functions in accordance with exemplary embodiments ofthe present invention. For example, the memory 314 could be configuredto buffer input data for processing by the processor 312. Additionallyor alternatively, the memory 314 could be configured to storeinstructions for execution by the processor 312. As yet anotheralternative, the memory 314 may include one or more databases that maystore a variety of data sets responsive to input sensors and components.Among the contents of the memory 314, applications and/or instructionsmay be stored for execution by the processor 312 in order to carry outthe functionality associated with each respectiveapplication/instruction. In some cases, the applications may includeinstructions for providing inputs to control operation of thebeamforming control module 300 as described herein.

In an example embodiment, the memory 314 may store fixed positioninformation 350 indicative of a fixed geographic location of at leastone base station. In some embodiments, the fixed position information350 may be indicative of the fixed geographic location of a single basestation of the ATG network 200. However, in other embodiments, the fixedposition information 350 may be indicative of the fixed geographiclocation of multiple ones (or even all) of the base stations of the ATGnetwork 200. In other embodiments, the fixed position information 350may be stored at another memory device either onboard the aircraft 100,at any BS in the ATG network 200, at a location accessible to thenetwork controller 240, or in the cloud. However, regardless of thestorage location of the fixed position information 350, such informationmay be read out of memory and provided to (and therefore also receivedat) the processing circuitry 310 for processing in accordance with anexample embodiment.

The processing circuitry 310 may also be configured to receive dynamicposition information 360 indicative of a three dimensional position ofat least one mobile communication station (which should be appreciatedto be capable of transmission and reception of signaling in connectionwith two way communication). The mobile communication station may be apassenger device onboard the aircraft 100, or may be a wirelesscommunication device of the aircraft 100 itself. The wirelesscommunication device of the aircraft 100 may transfer information to andfrom passenger devices (with or without intermediate storage), or maytransfer information to and from other aircraft communications equipment(with or without intermediate storage).

The dynamic position information 360 may be determined by any suitablemethod, or using any suitable devices. For example, the dynamic positioninformation 360 may be determined using global positioning system (GPS)information onboard the aircraft 100, based on triangulation of aircraftposition based on a direction from which a plurality of signals arriveat the aircraft 100 from respective ones of the base stations, usingaircraft altimeter information, using radar information, and/or thelike, either alone or in combination with each other. Thus, for exampledynamic position information 360 may be GPS data provided from theaircraft 100 and/or any other augmenting information indicative ofaircraft 100 location in 3D space. For example, altitude information,course/speed information, information indicative of the specific beam inwhich the aircraft 100 is located (and corresponding knowledge ofbearing and elevation angle from a known fixed location), radarinformation, and other sources may be used to generate the dynamicposition information 360. When, for example, the dynamic positioninformation 360 includes information associated with specific beams, theinformation may be received from one or multiple base stations. Thus, insome cases a particular base station may receive the dynamic positioninformation 360 in the form of information indicative of a position ofthe aircraft relative to a different base station (or base stations).However, the particular base station may also generate such informationfor itself and/or other base stations, aircraft, or network assets aswell.

In an example embodiment, the processing circuitry 310 may be configuredto enable beams to be formed either from the aircraft 100 toward a fixednode (e.g., one of the base station or the mobile communication station)or in the opposite direction. As mentioned above, the beams may beformed in real-time or in advance to anticipate a handover. In eithercase, the processing circuitry 310 may be configured to utilizeinformation indicative of the locations of two devices or network nodesand determine where the network nodes are relative to one another fromthe perspective of either one of the network nodes (or both). Trackingalgorithms may be employed to track dynamic position changes and/orcalculate future positions based on current location and rate anddirection of movement. After the expected relative position isdetermined, the processing circuitry 310 may be configured to provideinstructions to direct formation of a beam from an antenna array of thesecond network node based on the expected relative position. Theinstructions may be provided to a control device that is configured toadjust characteristics of an antenna array (of either the mobilecommunication station or the base station) to form directionallysteerable beams steered in the direction of the expected relativeposition. Such steerable beams may, for example, have azimuth andelevation angle widths of 5 degrees or less. Moreover, in some cases,such steerable beams may have azimuth and elevation angle widths of 2degrees or less. However, larger sized steerable beams may also beemployed in some embodiments.

In an example embodiment, the first network node may be disposed at (orbe) the base station, and the second network node may be disposed at themobile communication station (e.g., the aircraft 100 or communicationequipment thereon). However, alternatively, the first network node couldbe the mobile communication station, and the second network node couldbe at the base station. Furthermore, multiple instances of thebeamforming control module 300 may be provided so that both the mobilecommunication station and the base station may employ the beamformingcontrol module 300. Alternatively or additionally, multiple instances ofthe beamforming control module 300 may be provided on multiple aircraftand/or on multiple base stations so that each device (or at leastmultiple devices) within the ATG network 200 may be able to directsteerable beams toward other devices in the network on the basis ofusing position information to estimate the relative position of a deviceto focus a beam toward the expected or estimated relative positioneither currently or at some future time.

In an example embodiment, the dynamic position information 360 mayinclude latitude and longitude coordinates and altitude to provide aposition in 3D space. In some cases, the dynamic position information360 may further include heading and speed so that calculations can bemade to determine, based on current location in 3D space, and theheading and speed (and perhaps also rate of change of altitude), afuture location of the aircraft 100 at some future time. In some cases,flight plan information may also be used for predictive purposes toeither prepare assets for future beamforming actions that are likely tobe needed, or to provide planning for network asset management purposes.In some embodiments, the beamforming control module 300 may be disposedat the aircraft 100. In such cases, the fixed position information 350may be provided for multiple base stations to define the networktopology and may be stored in a memory device (e.g., memory 314) onboardthe aircraft 100.

In an example embodiment, the beamforming control module 300 may bedisposed at the network controller 240, which may be in communicationwith the base stations of the ATG network 200. In such an example, thebeamforming control module 300 may be configured to receive dynamicposition information 360 for a plurality of aircraft, and to provideexpected relative position information for each aircraft relative to oneof the base stations. Alternatively or additionally, the beamformingcontrol module 300 may be configured to receive dynamic positioninformation, and to provide expected relative position information forat least one aircraft relative to at least two base stations. In stillother embodiments, the beamforming control module 300 may additionallyor alternatively be configured to receive dynamic position information,and to provide multiple expected relative positions for respectivedifferent aircraft with respect to multiple base stations.

In some example embodiments, the beamforming control module 300 mayfurther be configured to operate in a mesh network context. For example,the beamforming control module 300 may be configured to utilize dynamicposition information associated with multiple aircraft in order to formmesh communication links between aircraft. Thus, for example, oneaircraft could relay information to another aircraft from a terrestrialbase station. In such an example, the expected relative position may bea relative position between two aircraft. In some embodiments, multiple“hops” between aircraft may be accomplished to reach remotely locatedaircraft, or even to provide self healing in a network where aparticular ground station is not operating, but there are other aircraftin the area that can relay information to fill in the coverage gaps leftby the non-operating ground station.

The system of FIG. 2 may therefore include one or more beamformingcontrol modules 300 at one or more corresponding locations within thesystem. Regardless of the number and locations of such modules, theinformation associated therewith may be used to generate antenna arraycontrol data 365 that can be provided, for example, to aircraft antennacontrol units, beam control units, panel selection or steering elements,switches, and/or the like to form or control beams accordingly at eitherend of a two way communication link. The antenna array control data 365may be used to control the amplitude and phase of antennas to formspecific beams having the desired direction, elevation and range. Thecontrol provided may be expected to improve the performance of ATGnetwork communications. However, for any of a number of reasons, systemperformance may not reach levels otherwise expected. Thus, it may beuseful to analyze system performance either in real time or off line ata later time to evaluate the performance of various components andperhaps address any issues that may be identifiable. To accomplish this,some example embodiments may employ a network analytics control module(NACM) 400.

The NACM 400 may be used evaluate system performance based on a numberof parameters that may be reported by assets within the ATG network 200.These parameters may be enabled to be correlated to each other togenerate a historical picture of the performance of specific assetswithin the system. In particular, these parameters may allow the NACM400 to passively monitor the parameters that are otherwise available inthe system to gauge various factors that may indicate performance issuesand perhaps also customer satisfaction in a way that allows forproactive issue resolution, troubleshooting and sometimes even systemadjustment, to improve system performance with minimal input from thecustomer.

In an example embodiment, the NACM 400 may include processing circuitry410 that may further include a processor 412 and memory 414 that mayeach be similar in function, capability, and in some cases also form tothe corresponding processing circuitry 310, processor 312, and memory314 described above except perhaps for differences in scale, packaging,programming, sub-modules/components and/or configuration. The deviceinterface 420 and user interface 430 of the NACM 400 may also be similarto the corresponding components described above. Thus details regardingthe structures of such components will not be repeated.

In an example embodiment, the NACM 400 may be configured to receive anyor all of various parameters shown in FIG. 4, in order to enableanalysis of such parameters to ultimately enable network controlfunctions to be performed. For example, the NACM 400 may receive (e.g.,via the device interface 420) an asset location record 440 for one ormore assets (e.g., aircraft or base station) that operate within thesystem. The asset location record 440 may be a record of the dynamicposition information 360 described above (or information derivedtherefrom) that is time stamped or otherwise correlated to a specificseries or history of locations and times for a given asset. Thus, insome cases, the asset location record 440 may effectively provide apicture in 3D space of the routes traveled by one or more aircraftthrough the coverage areas of a number of different base stations.However, the information of the asset location record 440 need notnecessarily be provided in a manner that is aircraft-centric. Theinformation could be correlated from the perspective of aircraft orother communication assets (e.g., base stations). Thus, the assetlocation record 440 may, in some cases, provide a picture in 3D space ofthe paths taken by various aircraft through the area served by aparticular base station. As such, the asset location record 440 couldhave an aircraft-based location paradigm or a base station-basedlocation paradigm in various different embodiments.

Regardless of the location paradigm employed by the asset locationrecord 440, the information provided in the asset location record 440includes both times and locations in 3D space for assets that may beknown by tail number or other identification methods for aircraft, or bybase station identifier, cell ID or other identification methods forbase stations. Asset locations at corresponding times may be accuratelyknown by any combination of location determining methods described abovefor determining dynamic position information 360 including augmentationsof the dynamic position information 360 using after actionreconstruction or additional information that might be available toaugment the dynamic position information 360.

In an example embodiment, the NACM 400 may also be configured to receivesignal quality information 450 as reported by various assets. The signalquality information 450 may be organized by asset and may also be timestamped or otherwise correlated to times at which the correspondingsignal quality information 450 was received from respective assets. Inthis regard, for example, each aircraft may continuously or periodicallyreport signal quality parameters (e.g., RSSI (received signal strengthindicator), bandwidth (in uplink or downlink directions), etc.) suchthat the signal quality parameters for any given asset can be correlatedto the location of the asset in 3D space (since location information isalso stored based on time). In some cases status information 460 (e.g.,radio on/off status) may also be provided to the NACM 400. The NACM 400may be configured to generate (e.g., for an individual asset) a locationbased performance history 470 that may correlate at least the assetlocation record 440 along with one or both of the signal qualityinformation 450 and the status information 460 by asset from anydesirable perspective (e.g., from the perspective of base stations oraircraft).

The NACM 400 may be configured to generate the location basedperformance history 470 as a database of data that has been collectedand collated using time as the basis for collating data associated withany particular asset. In this regard, for example, the signal qualityinformation 450 is collated with the asset location record 440 (and/orstatus information 460) to provide an indication of signal quality overtime for the various recorded locations of aircraft that are tracked bythe system. As such, the location based performance history 470 mayprovide a temporally sequenced picture of the performance relatedparameters experienced at every location at which assets are located andoperating/reporting within the ATG network 200 for one asset (e.g.,aircraft or base station), for multiple assets, or for all assets of theATG network 200. Thus, the location based performance history 470 mayact as a data store for all the data necessary to generate a view ofperformance history for any selectable asset within the ATG network 200,and the performance history can be correlated to position in 3D space.

The NACM 400 may be configured to enable the user to conduct queries forindividual assets to analyze and/or display information associated withthe individual asset or assets that have been selected based on thelocation based performance history 470 for the asset(s) using, forexample, a query module 480 configured to define a structure by whichthe user can interact the data in the location based performance history470 to obtain specifically requested information. Alternatively oradditionally, the NACM 400 may be programmed to cycle through assets tolook for and identify issues based on programmed search criteria and/orprogrammed trigger events. In either case, data associated with oneasset may be considered and analyzed with respect to other assetsencountered in a given time period. For example, data registered in 3Dtime and space for all tail numbers or device identifiers for aircraftbased assets that are encountered by a particular base station mayanalyzed to determine patterns or individual outliers that may indicateidentifiable issues. Alternatively or additionally, data registered in3D time and space for all base stations (or other assets such asaircraft operating in a mesh context or relaying information) that areencountered by a specific aircraft or device during a route traveled bythe specific aircraft or device may be analyzed to determine patterns orindividual outliers that may indicate identifiable issues.

As an example, the NACM 400 (via configuration of the processingcircuitry 410 thereof) may be configured to extract location and signalstrength information from the location based performance history 470 fora selected aircraft. The selected aircraft may be selected by the user,or may be automatically selected by the NACM 400 at random or as part ofa sequence of automated queries set up to check all aircraft associatedwith a given organization or other group. The NACM 400 may then comparethe signal strength information for the selected aircraft tocorresponding signal strength information measured for other aircraftthat have been at the same location (or within a predetermined distanceof the same location) in 3D space. As such, the NACM 400 may beconfigured to compare every signal strength measurement taken at thesame location in 3D space by other aircraft to the signal strengthmeasured by the selected aircraft to determine if the selected aircraftexperienced a lower than normal or expected signal strength. If, forexample, the selected aircraft tends to have a lower signal strengthmeasurement than other aircraft at the same location, it may be the casethat the selected aircraft has equipment related issues on-board theselected aircraft that are causing the lower signal strength.

Accordingly, for example, the NACM 400 may be configured to identifysituations in which the signal strength information associated with theselected aircraft differs from the signal strength information of otheraircraft measured at the same location by at least a predeterminedamount. In some cases, the signal strength information of other aircraftmeasured at the same location may be a composite (e.g., mean or average)signal strength value of other aircraft that have been within apredetermined distance from the same location. In response to the signalstrength information of the selected aircraft being different from thecomposite signal strength value, a service alert may be generated toidentify the selected aircraft. The service alert may be used toschedule an inspection of or maintenance on equipment onboard theselected aircraft.

In some examples, the NACM 400 may alternatively or additionally beconfigured to facilitate network planning and expansion opportunities.For example, the NACM 400 may be configured to receive the locationinformation of all aircraft that use the system in 3D space along withthe corresponding signal strength information reported by such aircraftat each location (and time). Thus, not only can the specific sectors orcells that are utilized most frequently be determined and understood,but the specific location within the cells or sectors at which the mostdata usage occurs can also be known. As such, bandwidth usage in bothuplink and downlink directions may be mapped versus 3D location tounderstand the locational (and temporal) hot spots for either or both ofuplink and downlink bandwidth consumption.

By having knowledge of the 3D locations (i.e., not just the cell orsector, but the direction, distance and altitude) at which usage occurs,planning may be conducted for resource allocation, network expansion,handover optimization, etc. With respect to resource allocation, if itis known that a particular location within a cell or sector tends tobecome heavily or lightly used over a specific period of time, channelsize may be altered to address the issue. For example, for a lightlyused location, channel size may be changed to a 40 MHz channel insteadof a normal 20 MHz channel to provide a boost in bandwidth to aircraftpassing through the area. Alternatively, if a location is heavily used,channel size may be change from a 20 MHz channel to a 10 MHz channel toaccommodate the heavy usage for all users. As such, the NACM 400 may beconfigured to provide a usage alert to the user to identify specificlocations in 3D space (and in some cases also the corresponding times)of heavy or light usage to allow the user to make network configurationchanges accordingly. However, in other cases, the NACM 400 may beconfigured to interface with the network controller 240 to provide suchinformation to the network controller 240, and the network controller240 may make the changes to network configuration based on theinformation provided without user input.

In some cases, when network expansion is planned, new cell sites orsector capabilities may be added to improve the capabilities of thespecific locations in 3D space. In this regard, for example, the NACM400 may be configured to map usage in both uplink and downlinkdirections within 3D space so that it is known exactly where within eachsector and/or cell the usage of resources occurs over time, targetedresource augmentation may be accomplished. In the past, traffic densityhas only been tracked on the sector level, and sectors may coverhundreds of square miles or kilometers. Thus, any understanding of hotspots for usage was previously very coarse in nature. By having a finerappreciation for the location of hot spots (and cool spots), networkexpansion and management can be enhanced.

With respect to network management, handover management may also beimpacted. For example, by having knowledge of signal levels in 3D space,it may be possible to identify a potential handover issue, or may bepossible to conduct a handover preemptively in order to avoid anyhandover issues. In some cases, a potential handover issue may beidentified in 3D space so that a change in frequency or a minor azimuthchange may be implemented within a sector to change a handover overlappoint.

By having information on the identity of each aircraft with radioequipment for communication within the ATG network 200 (e.g., tailnumbers), it may also be possible for the NACM 400 to determine when andwhere the radio equipment is flying at any given time. The statusinformation 460 may indicate the radio status (e.g., on/off) for eachaircraft. In particular, if an aircraft is flying without the radioequipment registering with the network, it may be appreciated that theaircraft likely has turned the radio equipment off, or there is someother type of fault in progress. In an example embodiment, the NACM 400may issue an alert to the user when an aircraft flies withoutregistering (i.e., with the radio off) either one time or apredetermined number of times. The alert may signal the user to eitherhave sales or customer service personnel reach out to the customer tocheck on satisfaction with or operability of the equipment. Accordingly,for example, if the customer turned off the equipment due to poorperformance, if the equipment was accidentally left off, or if there isa fault that the customer has not yet reported, proactive engagement maybe performed to address the issue before the customer can becomedissatisfied.

Example embodiments may therefore provide multiple ways by whichcustomer experience may be inferred by monitoring various parameterspassively in connection with time and location correlation of suchparameters. Proactive resource management, customer engagement, andother activities may then be undertaken to improve system performanceand customer satisfaction.

As such, the system of FIG. 2 may provide an environment in which thecontrol modules of FIGS. 3 and 4 may provide a mechanism via which anumber of useful methods may be practiced. FIG. 5 illustrates a blockdiagram of one method that may be associated with the system of FIG. 2and the control modules of FIGS. 3 and 4. From a technical perspective,the NACM 400 described above may be used to support some or all of theoperations described in FIG. 5. As such, the platform described in FIG.2 may be used to facilitate the implementation of several computerprogram and/or network communication based interactions. As an example,FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method and program product according to anexample embodiment of the invention. It will be understood that eachblock of the flowchart, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart, maybe implemented by various means, such as hardware, firmware, processor,circuitry and/or other device associated with execution of softwareincluding one or more computer program instructions. For example, one ormore of the procedures described above may be embodied by computerprogram instructions. In this regard, the computer program instructionswhich embody the procedures described above may be stored by a memorydevice of a device (e.g., the NACM 400, and/or the like) and executed bya processor in the device. As will be appreciated, any such computerprogram instructions may be loaded onto a computer or other programmableapparatus (e.g., hardware) to produce a machine, such that theinstructions which execute on the computer or other programmableapparatus create means for implementing the functions specified in theflowchart block(s). These computer program instructions may also bestored in a computer-readable memory that may direct a computer or otherprogrammable apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that theinstructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an articleof manufacture which implements the functions specified in the flowchartblock(s). The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer or other programmable apparatus to cause a series of operationsto be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus toproduce a computer-implemented process such that the instructions whichexecute on the computer or other programmable apparatus implement thefunctions specified in the flowchart block(s).

Accordingly, blocks of the flowchart support combinations of means forperforming the specified functions and combinations of operations forperforming the specified functions. It will also be understood that oneor more blocks of the flowchart, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based computersystems which perform the specified functions, or combinations ofspecial purpose hardware and computer instructions.

In this regard, a method according to one embodiment of the invention,as shown in FIG. 5, may include receiving three dimensional locationinformation and corresponding signal quality information for aparticular asset in an ATG network at operation 500. The method mayfurther include making a service quality inference for the particularasset based at least in part on the received information at operation510. The service quality inference may, in particular, be a servicequality inference that is applicable to a specific location within 3Dspace. Thus, the service quality inference may be said to be alocation-specific service quality inference, where the location is aspecific location within a cell or sector. The method may furtherinclude providing an instruction for a network control activity based onthe service quality inference at operation 520.

The method described above in reference to FIG. 5 may include additionalsteps, modifications, augmentations and/or the like to achieve specificservice quality inferences, or to achieve specific network controlactivities. FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate different examples in this regard.For example, FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagrams that may beillustrative of specific way of determining inferences and takingactions in accordance with an example embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6, a method in accordance with another exampleembodiment may include receiving time correlated three dimensionalposition information indicative of aircraft locations within an ATGnetwork at operation 600, and receiving time correlated signal strengthinformation for aircraft within the ATG network at operation 610. Themethod may further include associating, based on time, the signalstrength information to the three dimensional position information todefine a location based performance history for an asset, or formultiple assets on a per asset basis, at operation 620. Thereafter,queries (e.g., user initiated or automated queries) may be employed toselect an asset to extract data associated with the selected asset andcompare the extracted data to composite data associated with otherassets at operation 630. A difference may then be determined between thecomposite data and the extracted data to see whether the differenceexceeds a predetermined threshold at operation 640. If the differentexceeds the predetermined threshold, then an alert or network controlinstruction may be issued at operation 650. The alert or network controlinstructions may include instructions to change channel parameters orfrequency. Thus, for example, a switch between the use of unlicensed vs.licensed band frequency, a switch between ATG and satellitecommunication, or other such changes may be planned in advance forspecific locations where such a shift would be advantageous based onoffline processing of data correlating specific performance parametersto corresponding specific times and locations in 3D space.

FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram that may be illustrative of specificmodifications to the general method described in reference to FIG. 5. Inthis regard, for example, operation 500 may, in some cases, be furtherdefined by receiving time correlated three dimensional positioninformation indicative of aircraft locations within an ATG network atoperation 700, and receiving time correlated signal strength informationfor aircraft within the ATG network at operation 710. In some cases,operation 500 may further include associating, based on time, the signalstrength information to the three dimensional position information todefine a location based performance history on a per asset basis atoperation 720. The method may further include providing a representationof network usage in three dimensional space to enable identification ofhigh usage or low usage locations in three dimensional space within theATG network at operation 730. The method may further include performinga network optimization activity based on the representation at operation740. The network optimization may include, among other things, forexample, adjusting frequency or azimuth for a sector involved in ahandover of the aircraft, or generating a recommendation to add capacityat a location having a usage volume above a predetermined threshold.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forthherein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which theseinventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in theforegoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is tobe understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specificembodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments areintended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associateddrawings describe exemplary embodiments in the context of certainexemplary combinations of elements and/or functions, it should beappreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions maybe provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scopeof the appended claims. In this regard, for example, differentcombinations of elements and/or functions than those explicitlydescribed above are also contemplated as may be set forth in some of theappended claims. In cases where advantages, benefits or solutions toproblems are described herein, it should be appreciated that suchadvantages, benefits and/or solutions may be applicable to some exampleembodiments, but not necessarily all example embodiments. Thus, anyadvantages, benefits or solutions described herein should not be thoughtof as being critical, required or essential to all embodiments or tothat which is claimed herein. Although specific terms are employedherein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and notfor purposes of limitation.

What is claimed is:
 1. A network analytics control module comprisingprocessing circuitry configured to: receive three dimensional locationinformation and corresponding signal quality information for aparticular asset in an air-to-ground (ATG) network, the threedimensional location information including information indicative of aspecific beam of a plurality of formable or steerable beams of the ATGnetwork for which the corresponding signal quality information applies;make a service quality inference for the particular asset based at leastin part on the received information; and provide an instruction for anetwork control activity based on the service quality inference.
 2. Themodule of claim 1, wherein receiving three dimensional locationinformation and corresponding signal quality information for theparticular asset comprises: receiving time correlated three dimensionalposition information indicative of aircraft locations within the ATGnetwork; receiving time correlated signal strength information for theaircraft within the ATG network; and associating, based on time, thesignal strength information to the three dimensional positioninformation to define a location based performance history for theaircraft.
 3. The module of claim 2, wherein making the service qualityinference comprises comparing data extracted from the location basedperformance history for a selected asset to composite data associatedwith other assets from the location based performance history anddetermining when a difference between the composite data and the dataextracted from the location based performance history for the selectedasset exceeds a predetermined threshold.
 4. The module of claim 3,wherein providing the instruction comprises issuing a user alert.
 5. Themodule of claim 3, wherein providing the instruction comprises issuing anetwork control instruction to change channel parameters or frequency.6. The module of claim 3, wherein the comparing is performed responsiveto a user query.
 7. The module of claim 3, wherein the comparing isperformed responsive to an automatically generated query.
 8. The moduleof claim 2, wherein making the service quality inference comprisesproviding a representation of network usage in three dimensional spacefrom a selected one of an aircraft-based location paradigm and a basestation-based location paradigm to enable identification of usage volumeat respective locations in the three dimensional space within the ATGnetwork.
 9. The module of claim 8, wherein providing the instructioncomprises performing a network optimization activity based on therepresentation.
 10. The module of claim 9, wherein the networkoptimization activity comprises adjusting frequency or azimuth forchanging a handover overlap point within a sector involved in a handoverof the aircraft.
 11. The module of claim 9, wherein the networkoptimization activity comprises generating a recommendation to addcapacity at a location having a usage volume above a predeterminedthreshold.
 12. A network analytics control module comprising processingcircuitry configured to: receive three dimensional location informationand corresponding signal quality information for a particular asset inan air-to-ground (ATG) network; make a service quality inference for theparticular asset based at least in part on the received information; andprovide an instruction for a network control activity based on theservice quality inference, wherein receiving three dimensional locationinformation and corresponding signal quality information for theparticular asset comprises: receiving time correlated three dimensionalposition information indicative of aircraft locations within the ATGnetwork; receiving time correlated signal strength information for theaircraft within the ATG network; and associating, based on time, thesignal strength information to the three dimensional positioninformation to define a location based performance history for theaircraft, and wherein making the service quality inference comprisesdetermining that radio equipment on the aircraft is turned off over atleast a predetermined number of routes flown by the aircraft.
 13. Anair-to-ground (ATG) network comprising: a plurality of base stationsdisposed at respective fixed geographic locations; at least oneaircraft; a beamforming control module comprising processing circuitryconfigured to provide instructions to direct beam formation from anantenna array of the aircraft or one of the base stations based on threedimensional location information associated with the aircraft; and anetwork analysis control module comprising processing circuitryconfigured to: receive the three dimensional location information andcorresponding signal quality information for a particular asset in theATG network, the three dimensional location information includinginformation indicative of a specific beam of a plurality of formable orsteerable beams of the ATG network for which the corresponding signalquality information applies; make a service quality inference for theparticular asset based at least in part on the received information; andprovide an instruction for a network control activity based on theservice quality inference.
 14. The network of claim 13, whereinreceiving the three dimensional location information and correspondingsignal quality information for the particular asset comprises: receivingtime correlated three dimensional position information indicative ofaircraft locations within the ATG network; receiving time correlatedsignal strength information for the aircraft within the ATG network; andassociating, based on time, the signal strength information to the threedimensional position information to define a location based performancehistory for the aircraft.
 15. The network of claim 14, wherein makingthe service quality inference comprises comparing data extracted fromthe location based performance history for a selected asset to compositedata associated with other assets from the location based performancehistory and determining when a difference between the composite data andthe data extracted from the location based performance history for theselected asset exceeds a predetermined threshold.
 16. The network ofclaim 15, wherein providing the instruction comprises issuing a useralert or issuing a network control instruction to change channelparameters or frequency.
 17. The network of claim 14, wherein making theservice quality inference comprises providing a representation ofnetwork usage in three dimensional space from a selected one of anaircraft-based location paradigm and a base station-based locationparadigm to enable identification of usage volume at respectivelocations in the three dimensional space within the ATG network.
 18. Thenetwork of claim 17, wherein providing the instruction comprisesperforming a network optimization activity based on the representation.19. The network of claim 18, wherein the network optimization activitycomprises adjusting frequency or azimuth for changing a handover overlappoint within a sector involved in a handover of the aircraft.
 20. Thenetwork of claim 18, wherein the network optimization activity comprisesgenerating a recommendation to add capacity at a location having a usagevolume above a predetermined threshold.